Back to Talk About Me

Portuguese Phrase

Quais são teus principais objetivos?

/ˈkwajʃ sɐ̃w ˈtews pɾĩ.siˈpajs oβʒeˈtʃiʃ/

Meaning"What are your main goals?"

💡

Meaning

The sentence asks someone to list the most important goals they have, whether personal, professional, or academic. It is a direct, informal way to inquire about priorities.

🎯

When to use

Use this question in informal conversations with friends, classmates, or teammates when you want to know what they are aiming for. It is not appropriate in very formal settings; there you would replace 'teus' with 'seus'.

✦Grammar Breakdown

Quaissãoteusprincipaisobjetivos?

1

Quais

Interrogative pronoun used for plural nouns, equivalent to 'which' or 'what' in English.

2

são

Third‑person plural of the verb SER (to be). It agrees with the plural subject 'objetivos'.

3

teus

Possessive adjective for second‑person singular informal (you). It must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies.

4

principais

Adjective in its plural form, meaning 'main' or 'principal'. It follows the possessive adjective.

5

objetivos

Plural noun meaning 'goals' or 'objectives'.

🗨In Conversation

A

Quais são teus principais objetivos?

What are your main goals?

Quero terminar a faculdade, aprender a tocar violão e viajar para a Europa.

I want to finish college, learn to play the guitar, and travel to Europe.

B

✕Common Mistakes

Quais são tus principais objetivos?
This is Spanish, not Portuguese. Use 'teus' for the informal possessive.
Qual é teu principal objetivo?
Use the plural form 'quais' because the noun 'objetivos' is plural.
Quais é teus principais objetivos?
The verb must agree with the plural subject; use 'são' instead of 'é'.
Quais são teu principais objetivos?
When the noun is plural, the possessive must also be plural: 'teus'.

↔Alternatives

Quais são seus principais objetivos?
What are your main goals? (formal)
Quais são os seus principais objetivos?
What are your main objectives?
Quais são os teus principais objetivos?
What are your main objectives? (informal, with article)

Cultural Tip

In Brazil, the informal possessive 'teus' is used mainly among close friends, siblings, or peers. In most professional or academic contexts people prefer the neutral 'seus'. Also, Brazilians often discuss goals in the context of "planos de vida" (life plans) or "metas" (targets), so you might hear the word 'metas' instead of 'objetivos'.